chemo and radiation and a long-term medication for preventing recurrence with healthful foods. Her physicians were admittedly uncomfortable with her decision to combine chemotherapy and radiation treatments with “food as medicine”, reiki, prayer, meditation, mindfulness and supplement intervention. But that didn’t deter her. To awaken others to the practicality of food as medicine, she founded NuGenesis Farm, in Pewaukee, a nonprofi t modeled after her home practice.


Prevention is Paramount Pioneering physicians and researchers


agree with Sabin and Myldach-Bero that comprehensive prevention, the key to solving the cancer epidemic, is missing from conventional medicine. Leading voices include Dr. Andrew Weil, founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Arizona (AzCIM), in Tucson; Dr. Carlos M. Garcia, founder of Utopia Wellness, near Tampa, Florida; advocate Susan Silberstein, Ph.D., founder of BeatCancer.org, in Richboro, Pennsylvania; and Ajay Goel, Ph.D., director of the Center for Epigenetics, Cancer Prevention and Cancer Genomics at Baylor University Medical Center’s Research Institute, in Dallas. Weil pioneered the earliest efforts to


develop a comprehensive curriculum in evidence-based integrative medicine and the fi eld of integrative oncology. “We’ve known for nearly 15 years that infl ammation is the root cause of many chronic diseases. Since 2012 scientifi c evidence has proven that a healthy lifestyle and an anti-infl ammatory diet can infl uence various cancers,” says Weil. His curriculum for health professionals and the general public was the fi rst to cite the role of a nutrient- rich, anti-infl ammatory diet in cancer prevention and treatment. “Health professionals graduate armed with a better understanding of the complex interactions between cancer, gut microbiome and nutrition,” advises Weil, whose paradigm inspires his chain of True Food Kitchen restaurants. Integrative Oncology, authored by


Weil and Dr. Donald I. Abrams, an integrative oncologist, is mandatory reading for AzCIM students that learn to use complementary interventions in prevention and conventional cancer care. Subjects such as antioxidants, cannabinoids, energy medicine, mind- body medicine, music and expressive art therapies are covered, as well as naturopathic oncology, plus the roles that community and spirituality play in prevention and treatment. Goel’s 20-year career in cancer


prevention research has produced a wealth of related articles. Among his fi ndings, he advises, “Curcumin, a yellow compound extracted from turmeric, has become a gold standard for prevention and the natural treatment of many chronic health conditions, including colon cancer. It targets cancer stem cells, disrupts cancer cell communication, triggers cancer cell death and helps to prevent cancerous mutations to cells. It’s also been shown to improve the effi cacy of conventional treatments including fewer adverse effects.” He recommends only taking turmeric products with BCM-95 percent active curcuminoids.


Customized Protocols Considering each individual’s


biological individuality as a Petri dish, Garcia’s studies help achieve an anti-cancer life. He advises, “There is no ‘one size fi ts all’ medical protocol box for cancer treatment. Customized modifi cations to lifestyle and diet are required because food nutrients directly impact the mechanisms by which cancer cells grow and spread. The right nutrition can reverse a compromised immune system, which research shows is a major contributor to the development of cancer.” Whether for improvement or


prevention, Garcia’s patient protocols always begin with a comprehensive evaluation appointment to learn about the individual he is treating. For cancer patients, his two-phase, eight-week program involves immune-enhancing therapies followed by immunotherapy aimed to de-cloak the camoufl aged protein coating of wily cancer cells so the body’s immune system can identify and destroy them.


Ten Questions to Ask Your Oncologist


D 1


2 3


4 5


6 7 8


9 10


o not be afraid to ask questions. When you hire a


doctor, they work for You.


It is Your body, not theirs. Ultimately, you are the one in charge of your treatment.


Here are 10 important questions to


ask when interviewing a doctor for the position of treating your cancer:


What will you be doing to treat my cancer stem cells, since chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery do not target these cells and can, in fact, stimulate their proliferation?


How do you plan to prevent damage to the DNA and mitochondria of my normal cells?


What is your rationale for your recommended treatment?


What is your overall expectation for this course of treatment: Curative or Palliative (meaning improving quality of life)?


What are the possible adverse reactions, and how will you address them?


Are there treatments you cannot provide?


What would you consider doing if you had my disease?


What would my course of disease progression be if I choose to do nothing you recommend? For example, what might happen to my survival time?


Are you open to integrative therapies and willing to work with experts in therapeutic nutrition?


What experience and training do you have with integrative oncology, nutrition, or integrative medicine in general?


August 2017 19


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40